


We've Always Been Soulmates

by lizzyunicorn



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Dean and Cas Are Oblivious, F/M, Fluff, M/M, mention of Naomi and Chuck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-27
Updated: 2018-05-27
Packaged: 2019-05-14 11:00:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14768318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lizzyunicorn/pseuds/lizzyunicorn
Summary: "Mom, what's the whole thing of soulmates about?” Dean asked and Mary looked at her son with a smile. “Well, Dean, you cannot see the colour of your soulmate’s eyes until you’ve met them and once you do, it’ll be your favourite colour,” she explained and she had expected Dean to make a sound of delight or anything but not for him to look at her a moment before biting his lip.“Does that mean that I don’t have a soulmate then?” he asked and Mary raised an eyebrow.“Why would you think that, Dean?” she inquired and Dean looked at her, his eyes watering.“Because I can see all colours, Mom.”Dean and Cas have been best friends since they were toddlers and have been inseparable ever since they've met each other all that time back. When they find out about soulmates, both of them think they don't have one because they can see all colours. However, when Sam introduces his newly found soulmate Jess to the family and she asks them since when they have been together because they are obviously soulmates, they find out that maybe they actually have a soulmate: each other.





	We've Always Been Soulmates

**Author's Note:**

> Soulmate AU where you cannot see the colour of your soulmate's eyes until you meet them and it's then you're favourite colour forever.

Everyone had a soulmate. That was what Dean Winchester had learned when he was young. Everyone had a soulmate. Dean had thought the idea of a soulmate was cute but he would never admit that to you. God, no. He would never tell you that he liked the idea of having a soulmate. At least that’s what he thought until he found out what it really meant. Dean had only been 7 years old, when he had went up to his mother to ask her about it.

“Mom, what’s the whole thing of soulmates about?” Dean asked and Mary looked at her son with a smile. “Well, Dean, you cannot see the colour of your soulmate’s eyes until you’ve met them and once you do, it’ll be your favourite colour,” she explained and she had expected Dean to make a sound of delight or anything but not for him to look at her a moment before biting his lip. “Does that mean that I don’t have a soulmate then?” he asked and Mary raised an eyebrow. “Why would you think that, Dean?” she inquired and Dean looked at her, his eyes watering. “Because I can see all colours, Mom.” Tears ran down his cheeks and Mary looked at her son, not knowing what to say. Surely, he had a soulmate. There was no other way. Everyone had a soulmate, why shouldn’t he have one? “I’m sure you do, Dean,” she said and pulled him into a hug. Dean buried his face into her shoulder and let out a “But I can see all colours, Mom”, making Mary run a hand up and down his back in a soothing motion. “I know you have one, Dean. Everyone has one and so do you,” she whispered while holding her son close. Yes, Dean had a soulmate, she was sure about it. His soulmate was out there. There was no other way.

 

That had been 18 years ago. Dean had accepted the fact that he didn’t have a soulmate and it was okay because his best friend since they had been infants, Castiel, didn’t have one either. Castiel had let Dean in on it when Dean had told him about his conversation with his mother and how he could see all colours. And somehow that had made Dean feel better. Because knowing that Cas saw all colours too made him feel like he wasn’t alone in this. That he and his best friend had another thing they shared. They were different in a lot of things, Dean loving pop culture like no one else and Castiel having no clue about it except that Dean forced him to watch it. Castiel loved bees and Dean appreciated that and listened to him talking about it. However, they both loved burgers and fast food and they both loved being around each other. They were drawn to each other like magnets and they absolutely hated being apart. When they had still been babies their parents had to be around each other all the time because Dean and Castiel had only been happy and quiet when they were around each other. It had made their mothers smile and share hidden looks and their fathers shake their hands and wondering why. And nothing had changed about that when they had grown up. Castiel had grown up to be reserved and quiet but yet full of authority with a hidden soft side that only his best friends knew about and Dean had grown up to be extroverted and funny and flirty and both a geek and sports person. While Dean was part of the baseball team, Castiel was part of the literature society but they were still close and clung to each other like they were glued together at the hips. Others often joked that Dean and Castiel actually were a couple but they had never kissed nor anything like that. That didn’t mean that Dean didn’t harbour feelings for his best friends. God, if someone would ask him, he would deny it but they would probably be able to see right through the lie. Dean looked at Castiel as if he was his whole universe and he spoke about him only someone who was truly in love would. And if Dean would not be hopelessly oblivious, he would see that Castiel felt the same about Dean. Castiel looked at Dean when Dean wasn’t looking and he had a soft smile on his face whenever he watched his best friend and it was obvious to everyone, except them. As a matter of fact, many had commented on their intensive staring into each other’s eyes. Sam, Dean’s younger brother, had once caught them in the kitchen staring into each other’s eyes and had coughed uncomfortably to make them aware of their presence. Yes, Dean and Castiel were in love with each other and didn’t know about it.

Mary Winchester and Naomi Novak had smiled at each other and shared a look when the two had graduated and had been both going to KU to study, sharing their room because there was no way they would ever part ways. Just the thought of having to leave Cas one day made Dean wince and hurriedly pushing it aside. He didn’t want to think about ever having to live with someone else or seeing his best friend living with someone else. Little did he know that Castiel felt the same. When the thought crossed his mind, Dean reminded himself that just like him Castiel could see all colours so it was unlikely that he would ever meet someone else and live with them because they weren’t his soulmate. And no one seemed keen on asking either of them out or make a move on them. In fact, when Dean had asked Lisa Braeden out in high school she had scoffed and asked him if he thought she was being a slut that she would go out with someone else’s boyfriend. Dean had been taken aback and had explained to her that he and Castiel were nothing but best friends (not that she had mentioned Cas by name) but Lisa had just shaken her head and had said “Of course, Dean. If that’s what you believe,” before she had turned around and left him alone in the hallway. Since then Dean had never asked anyone ever out again. And Castiel didn’t seem to be keen on asking anyone out either. The new transfer student Meg Masters had seemed interest in Cas for a few days in high school until someone had told her about Castiel’s close relationship with Dean and that had been the end of it. So, it had always been the two of them: Dean and Cas.

 

Dean was currently standing in front of the hob, watching the meat for Cas’s and his burgers sizzle in the pan. Castiel had sent him a text earlier, declaring that he was starving and that Latin class had been awful because apparently his lecturer had not stopped talking about soulmates in old Rome. Dean hadn’t even known that soulmates had existed back then so he had just smiled and texted back a _“Sorry about that, buddy. They don’t talk about soulmates much in Engineering”_ and Castiel had replied with a _“Are you making burgers, Dean?”_ and of course, Dean was. Cas loved Dean’s cooking but most of all his burgers and Dean was always willing to make his best friend happy. Dean flipped the meat on the other side, when his phone on the counter rang. Kansas’s _Carry On My Wayward Son_ blasted through the speaker and Dean knew that it was his little brother Sam, who was currently pursuing his law degree in Stanford. Dean picked up his phone and answered.

“Heya, Sammy, what’s up?” he asked and he could hear Sam scoff. “Stop calling me Sammy, Dean,” he replied but Dean just laughed. “Yeah, yeah, whatever. Why are you calling?” Dean inquired while opening the fridge and taking out a beer. He could hear Sam taking a deep breath. “I met my soulmate today, Dean,” Sam finally said and Dean stopped midway through lifting the bottle of beer to his lips and put it down again. “What?” “I met my soulmate today. Her name’s Jess. And she’s amazing, dude. Like seriously. The most wonderful person ever. You’ve gotta meet her.” Sam’s voice was erratic and happy and Dean could imagine him sitting on his bed, nearly jumping up and down from excitement. “Oh,” he finally said, the slightest hint of bitterness in his voice. Of course, he had known that Sam would find his soulmate one day because he couldn’t see one colour but still. Knowing that his brother had a soulmate while he didn’t hurt. Sam didn’t seem to pick up on the hurt in Dean’s voice because he rambled on about that girl called Jess. “She’s so great, Dean. She’s sweet and lovely and nice and such an amazing person.” Dean nodded and let out a grunt to let Sam know that he was listening. He let his brother rant on about his newly found soulmate and how brilliant she was, while he opened a cupboard, took out a glass and then took out the bottle of whisky from the cupboard next to the fridge and filled the glass before he took a sip. He needed something stronger than beer right now. Dean could hear the door to the apartment opening and he knew instantly that Cas was back. He bit his lip. Great. Cas would know immediately that something was wrong. He could read Dean like an open book. “Listen, Dean, Jess wants to meet all of you, and I told Mom and Dad and we’re going to be visiting this weekend because her parents are out of the country till next week,” Sam said and Dean grunted while he downed the rest of the whisky. He turned around to fill the glass again, when he could hear Castiel’s deep voice. “Hello, Dean.” Dean turned around and looked at his best friend, freshly filled whisky glass in his hand and Castiel raised an eyebrow. Of course, he knew that something was wrong. The bastard always knew. He locked eyes with him and they had a silent conversation and it probably would have been even longer if it wouldn’t have been for Sam, that had suddenly said: “Anyway, you and Cas are going to be there, right?” Dean chocked on the whisky he had just taken a sip from and he started coughing and doubled over. Right away, Castiel was at his side, taking the glass from his hand and placing it on the counter before rubbing his back. Dean looked at him with a thankful smile before he turned back to the call. “What?” he crooked and Sam sighed. “You and Cas are going to be there, right, Dean? I told Jess about you and Cas and she wants to meet both of you, so you’re going to be at Mom’s and Dad’s on Saturday, right?” Sam repeated and Dean pinched the bridge of his nose. “Yeah, yeah, we’ll be there, Sammy,” he replied and he could _hear_ Sam light up. “Amazing! Anyway, I gotta go or I’ll be late for my date. Say hi to Cas,” he said and before Dean could reply Sam had already ended the call. Dean sighed and closed his eyes before leaning against the counter.

When he opened his eyes again, Cas was standing in front of him with an accusatory glare. “Would you explain to me why you are drinking before dinner already, Dean?” he asked and Dean sighed, before scratching the back of his neck in embarrassment. He hated when Cas used this tone with him. It made him feel like he had let him down. “Sammy found his soulmate,” he just said and looked away. He didn’t need to look at Cas to know that the glare had been replaced by a look of understanding and empathy. “I see,” was all Castiel said before he forced Dean to look at him. “It’s okay, Dean. But you’re not alone, remember? I don’t have a soulmate either. It’s okay,” he said and Dean nodded. Castiel smiled at him. “Remember when Gabriel found his soulmate and you said she looked like a snake?” he asked and a weak smile appeared on Dean’s lips upon remembering that. “Kali was angry for a whole month and Gabe had to promise her that he would never mention it again,” he continued and Dean let out a soft laugh. “Yeah, I remember,” he said and Castiel chuckled. “I’ve never seen Gabe so upset,” Castiel added and now they were both laughing full heartedly because it was true, they never had seen Castiel’s older brother this upset. Dean clutched Cas’s shirt while laughing and they were laughing for a good few seconds until it was only him laughing anymore and Castiel looking at him with a smile full of adoration. Not that Dean noticed it, of course. Dean was way too busy enjoying being so close to his best friend that he could smell his aftershave, the coffee and honey on him. Dean would never admit it but he loved Castiel’s smell. It smelled like home to him. Eventually, Dean let go of Cas’s shirt and wiped the tears of laughter from his eyes. “Cas, you’re the best,” he said and Castiel smiled in reply.

 

Three days later, Dean and Cas found themselves in the Winchester household like they did so very often. It was less now that they both had been college students for a good few years but they were still visiting each other’s parents every once in a while. Mary Winchester was always happy to see Castiel and so was Naomi Novak when Dean came over. When Cas and Dean had turned up earlier today, Mary had pulled both of them in a hug and had kissed their cheeks. “You two look good,” she had said and a blush had appeared on Dean’s cheeks before he had said “Whatever” and had gone upstairs to his old room with Cas. They still found themselves there nowadays and they still giggled like girls every once in a while, and made Mary and John wonder what exactly they were doing (John had asked Mary about it more than once, but Mary had just shaken her head and smiled with a glint in her eyes that had been more than enough of an answer to John.). Dean and Cas had spent a good amount of time in Dean’s room before Mary had asked them to come down and help with dinner. Being the good son Dean was, he of course had obliged and Castiel being used to that had helped too. After all, the Winchesters were more family to him than strangers. He felt more part of their family than a guest. And the Winchesters thought of Castiel as family. No one had been surprised when he had been in their home even though Dean wasn’t there and the Novak’s had never questioned Dean’s presence. They had accepted the other boy into their family without a second thought. Castiel had just placed the last plate on the table when John Winchester entered the dining room. “Hello, Castiel,” he greeted the boy and Castiel looked up and smiled at him. “Hello, John,” he said and John nodded. “How’s college going, son?” he asked while making his way over to the kitchen where his wife was checking on the chicken in the oven while Dean was cutting bread. “Good. I can’t complain,” Cas said while he opened a drawer and got out napkins. John nodded before opening the fridge and taking out a beer, earning a disapproving glance from his wife. “How is work?” Castiel asked and John shrugged while opening the beer and took a sip before answering. “The same old, son,” he answered and Castiel nodded, while placing the napkins on the table. John looked at his own son, who was done cutting the bread. “Go and enjoy some time with Cas, Dean,” he said and Dean grinned before nodding, opening the fridge and getting a beer for both himself and Cas. Once in the dining room he handed Cas the beer and they walked over into the living room to sit down on the couch. Comfortable silence settled between the two until Cas raised his voice. “Are you looking forward to meeting Jess, Dean?” Dean looked at his best friend and shrugged. “I don’t know, man. Sure, I’m happy for Sammy but I wouldn’t have minded waiting a few more days to actually meet her,” he said and Castiel nodded. “I understand.”

It must have been half an hour in which Castiel and Dean had been sitting next to each other in comfortable silence, when the door bell rang. Instantaneously they exchanged a glance and got up and walked over to the dining room. Mary and John came out of the kitchen. “You two lovebirds stay here,” Mary said and Dean just rolled his eyes before looking at Cas. They were used to being called “lovebirds” and similar things by their parents and other people and had given up on explaining that they weren’t dating. A part of Dean had also given up because he wanted it to be true so desperately. Dean could hear the front door being opened and a friendly female voice and Sam greeting his parents. He turned to Cas. “She’ll better be fucking good to Sammy,” he muttered and Castiel let out a soft laugh. “I’m sure she will, Dean,” he replied and Dean smirked. “Oh yeah?” he asked and Cas shook his head. “You’re a helpless case, do you know that, Dean?” he said and Dean laughed. “Yeah, well, I’m _your_ helpless case,” he replied with a wink and Castiel would have said something in return if it would not have been for Dean’s younger brother that had just entered the dining room. “God, Dean, can you keep it in your pants for once?” Sam said in a disgusted tone but the smile on his face showed that he didn’t mean it. Dean shrugged. “Not when you’re here,” he replied before walking over and hugging him. “How have you been, Sammy?” he asked and Sam’s face lit up before going into a long monologue about how amazing Stanford was and how wonderful the people were and of course Jess. He did all that while walking over to Castiel, to hug him as well. “How are you, Cas?” he asked and Castiel smiled. “I am good, thank you for asking, Sam.” Sam nodded before turning back to his brother, keen on continuing his monologue, when the voice of his mother interrupted him. “Don’t you think you should introduce your girlfriend to them first, Sam?” she asked and everyone looked at Mary, who was standing in the doorway with a girl. The girl had long blonde hair and a smile on her face and it was obvious that this was Jess. “Yes, of course!” Sam said and he hurried over towards her. “Jess, this is Dean and Cas,” he said and he pointed at his brother and his best friend that were now standing next to each other, looking at the two expectantly. Jess beamed at them. “Oh, hello Dean, hello Castiel!” she said before she walked over to them and hugged them both. “Sam has told me so much about the two of you!” she added and Dean raised an eyebrow. “He has?” he asked and Jess nodded. “Oh yes, he never shuts up about you two!” she said with a laugh and Sam turned slightly red. “Didn’t know you were such a fanboy, Sammy,” Dean said, before everyone except Sam broke out in laughter.

Dinner was pleasant with everyone learning the story of how Sam and Jess met (“Brady introduced me to her as a fun but that was it for both of us”) and that Jess was studying veterinary medicine and loved Sam with all her heart. She asked questions every now and then, often directed at Dean or Castiel, but it was generally a pleasant experience and Dean started to forgive God that Sam had been granted a soulmate while he hadn’t. It was at desert when Jess asked the question that they probably should have seen coming but didn’t. “So, Dean, how long are you and Cas together now? I mean, I first didn’t want to believe Sam when he told me you didn’t have a soulmate but by the way you and Cas are acting around each other it’s impossible to believe that you two aren’t soulmates,” she said and Dean’s fork flew out of his hand on the plate and Mary and John exchanged a glance, while Sam looked at Jess with terror and Castiel looked down at his plate. Uncomfortable silence settled around them. “Uh… Uh. What?” Dean finally stuttered and Jess, seemingly not noticing the awkwardness, smiled at him. “Well, I mean, since I’ve been here you and Cas have not left each other’s side for once apart from going to the bathroom and even then, you watch each other leave as if your heart is breaking. You two are like glue to each other. It’s like your magnets and just need to be together. Honestly, I’ve never seen anything like this before. You two look at each other like you’re each other’s universe and you have conversations that go on and on for what seems _hours_ with your eyes. I thought Sam was joking when he told me about the staring but I’m sorry, he’s not lying,” she explained and Dean stared at her with wide eyes. “Jess…” Sam started but Jess shook her head. “No, seriously. I mean, I cannot be the only one who thinks that you two are a thing, an _item_. And I really cannot be the only one who thinks you two are soulmates,” she added and Dean still looked at her as if he had just seen an alien, while Cas continued to have a huge interest in the pie on his plate. No one was eating, everyone was watching Jess and Dean.

Finally, Dean swallowed, a blush appearing on his cheeks and he scratched the back of his neck before looking at his own plate. “Cas… Cas and I are just best friends, man. We’ve been best friends since we’ve been babies, right, Mom?” he said and he looked towards his mother, who was nursing her glass of wine in her hand. “R-Right, Mom?” he repeated and Mary Winchester took a sip before placing it on the table. “Actually, Dean,” she started and Dean’s eyes widened in shock, but she raised a hand to stop him from interrupting her. “Actually, Naomi and I have been thinking about you and Cas for many years now. About what you two are,” she said and finally Castiel raised his head, his eyes wide. “You spoke to my mom?” he asked and Mary nodded. “Of course, you and Dean have been best friends since the two of you were babies. Hell, Naomi and I had to meet up every day because the two of you wouldn’t stop crying if you weren’t together again. Only when you were finally together did you two shut up and actually laugh. It was odd, honestly. I mean, of course, Naomi and I knew you two were close but this close? I remember that weekend when Naomi took you to your grandma, Cas, and Dean here just didn’t stop crying. The only time he wasn’t crying when he was sleeping and that was barely. He only shut up once you were back. I had to ask Naomi to come over right away,” she said and Dean and Cas exchanged a look. Neither of them could remember that. Surely, their parents had often mentioned how close they had been since they were babies but they had never mentioned how close exactly. “You two just seemed to belong together, you know,” Mary continued, a smile on her lips, “And that never changed. You grew up but you two were always close. So close. It was like you were drawn to each other. Of course, Naomi and I first didn’t think a lot about it, you were children after all and you had known each other since the beginning. But the older you got, the more obvious it became. You two weren’t just close, Dean,” she said and now looked at her oldest son. “You two were _inseparable_. I mean, I don’t think there has been a day you two have gone without seeing each other unless you really had to.” A blush appeared on both Dean’s and Cas’s cheeks, while Mary continued. “I mean, Dean, you were scared shitless that Cas would go BU instead of KU, even though he had told you more than 3 times that he would not attend university without you,” she said and Dean blushed even harder, looking down at his plate. “You two are drawn to each other more than anyone else. It’s like you cannot _exist_ without each other. I’m sure that if one were to tell one of you that from tomorrow on you are no longer allowed to see each other you would rather kill yourselves than do that.” Mary took a sip from her wine and looked at her husband. “We’ve all talked about this. John, Naomi, Chuck, and I. And we’ve all come to the same conclusion: You two are soulmates. The reason you two see all colours is not because you don’t have a soulmate, it’s because you’ve met your soulmate so early on you don’t even know that you once didn’t see one colour. You are each other’s soulmate and I know that your favourite colour is blue, Dean, and I know that it is a particular shade of blue that happens to be the exact same one of Castiel’s eyes and I am 100% certain that if I were to ask Cas about his favourite colour it would be the one of your eyes. You two are soulmates, Dean. Everyone around you two knows except the two of you,” she said and Dean looked at Sam, who shrugged, and at John, who nodded in agreement. Finally, he looked at Cas, who was still highly interested in the pie on his plate. “That true, Cas?” Dean asked but Castiel didn’t answer. “Is the colour of my eyes really your favourite colour?” he repeated and Castiel looked up before he nodded, to embarrassed to say something. For a second, they looked at each other before a grin appeared on Dean’s face, he pulled Castiel in and planted a kiss on his lips. “Amazing! You don’t know how long I’ve wanted to do that!” he said once he let go of Cas, whose face had turned red all over. Dean ignored the looks of the others, before reaching for Cas’s plate. “You’re not gonna eat that, now, are you?” he asked and Cas blinked before he smiled softly at Dean. “No, Dean, I’m not.”

 

When Dean and Cas were back in their apartment that night, their lips swollen from kissing and their hands all over each other and smiles on their faces, they didn’t part ways to go to bed. Instead, they found themselves on Castiel’s bed, Dean in Castiel’s arms, looking in each other’s face. “I love you, Dean,” Castiel whispered and Castiel knew Dean was blushing, before he buried his face into Cas’s chest and muttered an “I love you, too, Cas.”

**Author's Note:**

> Not beta-read, mistakes belong to me.   
> Dean and Cas might be ooc, I apologise for that.   
> This is my first work in this fandom and there's never enough Soulmate AUs.   
> Thanks for reading!! xxx


End file.
